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Sherri
Roberts
Dreamsville
Brownstone 1998
BRCD 9811 |
Sherri
Roberts emerged in the late 1990s as one of the most potentially significant
of the more straight-ahead jazz singers. Other than "Middle of the
Night" (a song from a 1959 film that Nina Simone later recorded),
the selections on this CD, her second, are all standards, but they
are generally underplayed tunes.
Roberts
proves to be expert at picking out superior numbers; her continually
enjoyable date includes such gems as "Zoot Walks In," Gigi Gryce's
"Social Call," "How Little We Know," Bob Dorough's "I've Got Just
About Everything," and the definitive rendition of Henry Mancini's
"Dreamsville."
Although
Roberts is a fine scat singer, it is her warm interpretations of lyrics
that make her release most notable. She is assisted by pianist Mark
Soskin, bassist Harvie Swartz, drummer Danny Gottlieb, Chris Potter
on tenor and soprano and (on a few numbers) cellist Erik Friedlander,
violinist Gregor Hubner and percussionist Memo Acevedo. Careful attention
was paid to varying tempos and moods, and the result is a highly recommended
effort by a very appealing singer.